title: Two different mRNAs coding for identical elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1 alpha) polypeptides in Xenopus laevis embryos.
abstract: Two related but clearly different cDNA clones corresponding to elongation factor 1 alpha (EF-1 alpha) mRNAs were isolated from a Xenopus laevis gastrula-stage library. Whereas the nucleotide sequences of these two cDNAs differ within the coding region at 49 out of 1386 positions (3.5%), the derived amino acid sequences are completely identical, thereby indicating a substantial evolutionary constraint on this translation factor. Southern-blot analysis of genomic DNA suggests that, besides the two closely related EF-1 alpha genes investigated in this study, other more-distantly related genes may exist in the X. laevis genome. Transcription of EF-1 alpha genes during oogenesis and embryonic development was studied by Northern-blot analysis and by in situ hybridizations. A high amount of EF-1 alpha mRNA was detected in previtellogenic oocytes. At later stages of embryonic development, EF-1 alpha mRNA was found to be accumulated in translationally active tissues.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Molekularbiologie und Biochemie, Freie Universität, Berlin.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pöting
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Danker
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hartmann
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Köster
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wedlich
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Knöchel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D009866:Oogenesis / Q000502:physiology; D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000378:metabolism; D014176:Protein Biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D014982:Xenopus laevis / Q000196:embryology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010445:Peptide Elongation Factors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004247:DNA